Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Berlin, April 14, 2026

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UPDATE 1744 GMT:

At least seven civilians were murdered and 64 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses downed 309 of 324 drones. The Russians also fired three Iskander-M ballistic missiles overnight.

UPDATE 1734 GMT:

Russia’s revenues from crude oil and refined products almost doubled in March, rising to the level of early 2025.

In January and February, Government revenues fell 47% amid US sanctions on leading Russian oil companies and their customers.

But as global oil prices surged amid the US-Israel War on Iran, the Trump camp issued sanctions waivers to all countries importing Russian maritime oil.

The International Energy Agency said Russia’s crude ​oil exports rose by 270,000 barrels per day last ​month to 4.6 million bpd. Revenues rebounded to $19 billion from $9.75 billion.

Russian exports have been constrained in April by Ukrainian drone attacks on the Ust-Luga and Primorsk ports on the Baltic Sea and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Germany and Norway on Tuesday, establishing “strategic partnerships”.

In Berlin, Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a defense cooperation agreement. The Germans pledged additional support with air defense, long-range weapons, drones, and ammunition.

“Now, more than ever before, we want to learn from one another,” Merz said of the cooperation, including a memorandum of understanding between defense ministries on the electronic exchange of military data.

Zelensky praised, “Germany is a clear leader in supporting Ukraine and our efforts to protect lives.”

In Oslo, Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre signed a declaration for military cooperation including joint drone production.

Kyiv plans to produce drones in Norway with “the critical importance of sustaining and furthering Ukraine’s drone capability and technological edge in the fight against aggression”. The countries also set out priorities of strengthening defense readiness, boosting industrial cooperation, and integrating lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield experience into Norwegian military planning.

Earlier this year, Norway helped Ukraine with $400 million in emergency support for the energy sector amid Russia’s missile and drone attacks trying to break infrastructure and civilian resistance.